3 Hidden Health Benefits of Having Braces

Braces can straighten teeth and give you a fabulous smile, but there’s something many people don’t realise. Straight teeth can improve your health. That’s right. There are hidden health benefits of having braces.

In fact, improving your oral health and preventing future problems can be the main reason to straighten your teeth.

Improved Tooth Health

Healthy teeth meet correctly, allowing you to bite and chew your food properly. Teeth that are not straight can rub against each other and cause excessive enamel wear.

If you have a significant overbite or underbite, it may be more difficult to bite foods like corn on the cob or an apple because the cutting surfaces of the incisors (front teeth) don’t line up.

Think of how scissors work – a gap between the blades means ragged or incomplete cuts.

Improved Jaw Health

Your jaw needs exercise to stay healthy. That exercise comes from chewing, which puts pressure on the jaw bone in the same way running or weight-lifting puts pressure on the bones in your arms and legs.

When your teeth are out of alignment, the pressure is unevenly distributed. Too much pressure can damage the bone and too little can allow the bone to deteriorate.

Uneven, crooked teeth and overbites or underbites can also mean the jaw hinge is overly stressed when you chew, and this can cause headaches or jaw pain.

Improved Oral Health

When teeth are crooked, the toothbrush doesn’t make proper contact with all surfaces. Teeth with gaps are easy to floss, but they also provide areas where food particles can be trapped, increasing the risk of decay.

When you can’t clean your teeth properly, it increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease and can affect your overall health. Gum disease, in particular, has been linked to heart disease and other chronic conditions.

There are many components to a healthy mouth and teeth. Braces can certainly give you a more attractive smile, and that’s a perfectly good reason to want straighter teeth.

Just keep in mind that the real benefits have much more to do with your oral and overall health. Please contact us if you have questions or to schedule an appointment to evaluate your need for braces.